He stood at eight feet ten inches, weighed one hundred and seventy three jin, had broad shoulders and a deep chest, along with thighs thick as tree trunks. When he stretched his palms out, they were as large as palm-leaf fans. The calluses on his palms were over an inch thick, no matter how sharp the weapon, once in his hand he’d snap it instantly!

There was indeed a huge steel pot in front of him!

The steel pot rested on a stove, which was on the dais in the great hall.

The height of the great hall was 13.4 metres, while the dais’ height measured at seven feet, and over three feet for that of the steel pot.

The fire in the stove was burning merrily as meat cooked in the huge pot, its aroma was so fragrant that man and dog within a ten-mile radius would be attracted over.

When Lu Xiaofeng walked in, General was using a big wooden ladle to stir the meat in the pot.

He set down the ladle the moment he saw Lu Xiaofeng, glared at the latter and roared: “Lu Xiaofeng.”

The roar was like a thunderbolt from the sky, but Lu Xiaofeng didn’t even bat an eyelid and roared back: “General?”

“Are you coming or not?” General asked.

“I come,” Lu Xiaofeng replied.

He really walked over, his strides larger than usual.

General glared at him and said: “There’s meat in the pot.”

“It’s meat,” Lu Xiaofeng said.

“You eat meat?”

“Yes.”

“Eat a lot?”

“Lots.”

“Good, you eat!”

General handed the ladle over to Lu Xiaofeng, who took a full scoop of it.

One scoop was enough to fill a bowl of meat, sizzling hot meat.

Lu Xiaofeng wasn’t afraid of it being hot and finished it quickly. When he was done, he let out a breath and said: “Good meat.”

“Of course it is,” General said.

“You eat meat too?”

“Yes.”

“You eat a lot too?”

General snatched the ladle over and helped himself to a full scoop of meat, looked upwards and roared: “Good meat.”

“It is good meat,” Lu Xiaofeng agreed.

“You know what meat this is?” General asked.

“No.”

“You’re not afraid this is human flesh?”

“I’m afraid.”

“And you still want to eat it?”

“It’s better to eat others than to be eaten,” Lu Xiaofeng said.

General stared at him for a long time and said: “Fine, you eat!”

A scoop of meat filled a bowl, and a bowl of meat weighed one jin; Lu Xiaofeng ate another scoop.

General ate another scoop too, and he did as well.

In a short while, at least five jin of sizzling hot meat had gone down his stomach.

At the sixth scoop, General asked: “You can still continue?”

Lu Xiaofeng didn’t answer, but suddenly began doing somersaults, three-hundred and sixty of them at one go, then stood up to reply: “I can still eat.”

“Fine, let’s continue eating,” General said.

Lu Xiaofeng ate and ate, five somersaults per scoop of meat; after two thousand somersaults, he was still in good shape.

General, however, was startled. “Good somersaults.”

As soon as those words were said, a splitting sound could be heard as the belt around his tummy snapped into two.

“Can you still eat?” Lu Xiaofeng asked.

General didn’t answer, but leapt off the high dais and seized the legs of the stove. The stove was made of raw bronze, and coupled with the steel pot on the stove, must have weighed at least five hundred to seven hundred jin!

He lifted it with just one hand, set it down, then lifted it, for a total of three hundred and sixty times before he set it down. Then he snatched over the ladle and said fiercely: “Watch.”

This time, he ate two scoops.

Lu Xiaofeng gazed at the ladle in his hand, seemingly dazed, but suddenly also seized the stove and raised it, then put it down for three hundred and sixty times, grabbed the ladle and ate two scoops of meat.

General’s eyes were stunned.

“More?” Lu Xiaofeng panted.

General gritted his teeth. “More!”

He took the ladle and shoved scoop by scoop down his throat, and again there was a clattering sound. This time it wasn’t his belt, but that the ladle had reached the bottom of the pot.

A scoop of meat was equivalent to one jin, and a pot of meat had at least thirty to fifty scoops, all swept clean by the both of them.

Lu Xiaofeng expelled a long breath as he smoothed over his protruding belly and said: “Good meat.”

“Of course it is,” General said.

“Although, no meat is better than having meat,” Lu Xiaofeng said.

General glared at him, but suddenly laughed loudly. “Much better.”

Both of them roared with laughter and suddenly fell down together, stretched out on the stone dais and still laughing.

There were still people standing below the dais, all with wide eyes and open mouths as they gazed at each other, unable to say anything.

General glared at him, the veins on his forehead popping out, each green line thicker than most people’s.

Lu Xiaofeng said lightly: “So not only has your tummy burst, your head is swelling too.”

General’s fists clenched and his bones crackled like firecrackers; already at eight feet ten inches, he seemed to have grown an extra half feet.

It looked as though this man not only possessed innate superhuman strength, he’d also perfected his skills.

Lu Xiaofeng laughed instead. “You want to fight?”

General shut his mouth.

Now he’d concentrated all the strength within him, and if he spoke, all that strength would disperse.

Lu Xiaofeng said: “I’ve lost interest in eating meat, but fighting, I can still oblige.”

General suddenly bellowed and struck with his fist.

He’d stored up his energy for long and was just like the bow when drawn tight. The force of this fist was near unimaginable.

A flurry of noises ensued as the stove and pot toppled over, even the zhang-wide table and chairs had fallen down; the cutlery and lamps on the table had either smashed to the floor or crushed to bits on the table.

Lu Xiaofeng, too, had nearly been blown outside by the force of that fist, travelling over at least three or four long tables, over the heads of more than ten people, across more than ten zhang of the great hall, just like a kite with a string that had snapped.

Immediately, a burst of applause sounded in the great hall. General stood on the high dais looking even more majestic, awe-inspiring and domineering.

But at this moment, there was a “whoosh” sound and Lu Xiaofeng was back in front of him, a smile on his face as he said: “That blow really cooled me up, how about another one?”

General roared with rage and struck three times in quick succession.

His blows were not fancy or tricky, but every fist struck was solid and effective.

Although these three blows were not as powerful as the first one, they were far quicker than the first blow.

Lu Xiaofeng was once again blown off, but not to outside the hall; suddenly he somersaulted in the air and landed behind General.

General might be bulky but he was agile and his actions quicker. Feet apart, knees bent and arms akimbo, he shed his robe, pulled back as though he was shooting at the moon, and released another three blows in rapid succession.

These were the most basic of fist skills, but coming from him they were not blows that could be countered by ordinary people.

Fortunately, Lu Xiaofeng was not an ordinary person, indeed it would be impossible to find another Lu Xiaofeng in the world.

He darted aside in a flash and suddenly reached a hand out to grasp General’s elbow before ramming his head against General’s ribs.

He actually caused General’s one hundred and thirty-seven jin body stumbling backwards, almost falling off the high dais.

But Lu Xiaofeng was even more shocked.

He suddenly realised that this person possessed unusual strength; ramming his head against that body was like crashing into a stone wall and he was seeing stars.

And because he was dizzy and shocked, he laughed even louder, saying: “You lost again.”

“Rubbish,” General said.

“I almost knocked you down, you still won’t admit defeat?”

“What boxing skills did you use?”

“Head-boxing,” Lu Xiaofeng replied.

“What sort of skill is that?”

“That’s a fighting skill. So long as the opponent is knocked down, any skill can be used.”

General laughed coldly. “I’ll see what else you can still use.”

He got back to the same stance and struck again, his blows coming thick and fast, purposely establishing an advantage for himself.

This time, as he gave free play to his skills, one could see the true depth of his power.

Lu Xiaofeng had no way of breaking through, not with the way this was evolving. Lu Xiaofeng seemed to have realised this point as well, so he abandoned attacking and retreated to one corner of the stone dais, suddenly bent over double and clutched his stomach: “I can’t, my stomach is hurting like crazy.”

In truth, he knew that even if he died of stomach pains, nobody would care.

General shot forward like an arrow, raining blows.

At the point where he leapt up, Lu Xiaofeng had already slipped under his legs like a fish, then pressed his hands to the floor and arched upwards, slamming his bum against the other’s.

General was already fully focused on the attack and could not withdraw the force exerted, so this time he was actually knocked off the dais by Lu Xiaofeng.

Lu Xiaofeng clapped his hands and laughed loudly. “You lost again.”

General’s face was red with fury, his lips trembling.

“Why don’t you ask me this time what sort of skill I used?”

General didn’t ask, didn’t open his mouth.

“It’s bum-boxing,” Lu Xiaofeng said. He smiled and continued: “Next time if you see someone using his bum in a fight, you’d better stay far away, because you would definitely not be his match.”

General roared again and struck out once more. This time his target was not a person, but the stone dais.

The dais, made of green stone, was now smashed to smithereens that scattered in all directions. He leapt up as well and struck the second blow while in mid-air.

While such a strike was powerful, it also easily exposed one’s weaknesses, and was actually best used against a weaker opponent.

Lu Xiaofeng was definitely not weaker than he, so this was a cautious move on his part because he knew Lu Xiaofeng couldn’t hold his balance.

Nobody could stand properly on that crumbling dais with all that crushed stone scattered about like darts. That also meant one could not strike properly and could only retreat and hide. No matter how one hid, one would be unable withstand being swept away by the force of his blows.

Although this move was extremely cautious, it was however a definite killer!

Lu Xiaofeng had not recovered from his injury and his body was still very weak; he would surely be unable to withstand General’s aggression.

He didn’t.

He could actually still retaliate, in circumstances that were completely unimaginable, he fought back.

General was vastly experienced and could decide battles in a very short time, and he’d been certain of victory.

A pity he had miscalculated this time.

Lu Xiaofeng was always unpredictable and always did things that people thought would be impossible to do.

Unique Lu Xiaofeng, unparalleled Lingxi Fingers.

His body suddenly flew up diagonally, used his index finger gently flick General’s fist and his middle finger to flick General’s chest.

What was the use of doing that against an iron fist that could smash the stone dais or a chest that couldn’t even be cut up with a steel sabre?

It worked.

Nobody could imagine the amount of power that went into these two finger flicks.

General roared, flew up, crashed down heavily on the heap of crushed stone.

There were still thirty six people in the great hall, all staring at Lu Xiaofeng, an odd expression in their eyes.

Lu Xiaofeng had a forced smile on his face.

He could only smile like that, because he knew that even if those people weren’t General’s friends, they’d now become his enemies.

When a newcomer comes to a foreign place and suddenly has thirty six enemies, it can’t have been a pleasant thing for anyone.

He could only hope General wasn’t too badly hurt.

When he turned his head around, General who had been lying on the crushed stone had disappeared.

He turned around again and saw a man clothed in grey making his way slowly towards the doorway; General was in this man’s arms.

Lu Xiaofeng’s sharp ears had not at all picked up where this man had materialised from, how he had managed to carry General away and reach the doorway.

Lu Xiaofeng was stunned.

The man in grey was already out of the door.

The thirty six people in the great hall had all stood up and followed him out slowly; nobody turned around to spare Lu Xiaofeng a glance, as though already regarding Lu Xiaofeng as a dead man.

No matter how pretty a corpse, nobody was willing to look at it even once.

Lu Xiaofeng also suddenly felt as though he was standing in a tomb, there was neither man nor noise, and although the lights were still there, the place seemed darker than darkness.

If you couldn’t see anything, not even a sliver of hope, what use is light to you?

He was still standing there dumbly after a long while, unmoving.

This was a foreign place, so where could he go?

He was on the path of no return, so where else could he go?

At this point, he saw a pair of eyes and a hand.

A small and fair hand, a pair of laughing eyes, and Ye Ling was at the doorway waving at him.

Lu Xiaofeng immediately crossed over.

Even if there were a thousand traps outside, a million ambushes waiting for him, he’d walk out without hesitation.

He’d suddenly realised that the despair and helplessness of being alone was infinitely worse than death.

Thanks for the translations Junny! I'm loving LXF 5 so far and can't wait to read more Already shrouded in plenty of mysteries and awesome fighters, staying true to what I've come to expect after reading the first 4 Lu Xiaofeng books

I'm almost wondering at this point if the whole LXF sleeping with Ximen Chuixue's wife was staged, either by LXF himself, or both LXF and Chuixue together to find/infiltrate the Mansion for reasons unbeknownst to the readers currently because they'd found out that only dead people can enter the Mansion, and Ximen Chuixue's the only person who could possibly kill Lu Xiaofeng. LXF's sword wound seems to not have effected him at all either so it clearly didn't hit any vital spots, which could have been intentional.

Also, the first scene of the book with the 6 friends of LXF all discussing what he had done now leaves me wondering if at least one of the people there, is working with the Mansion of Spirits after what Dugu Mei mentioned in the forest about "“The people in the Mansion all seem to be those you’d never expect to be.”" Actually, that whole encounter in the forest was incredibly sketchy and White Dragon seemed to know an awful lot about Chuixue for someone who was working with the Mansion.

As for Old Sabre Honcho and the Soul Collector, I haven't the slightest clue as to who they could be even though they seem to have some sort of connection to LXF(the Soul Collector seemed to expect that LXF might recognize him when they were talking on the wire-bridge).

Also, the first scene of the book with the 6 friends of LXF all discussing what he had done now leaves me wondering if at least one of the people there, is working with the Mansion of Spirits after what Dugu Mei mentioned in the forest about "“The people in the Mansion all seem to be those you’d never expect to be.”" Actually, that whole encounter in the forest was incredibly sketchy and White Dragon seemed to know an awful lot about Chuixue for someone who was working with the Mansion.

Well said SeventotheSeven, I agree with u..I can't wait for the next chapter. How many chapters are there all together?

SeventotheSeven: interesting observations! I shan't say anything for now, won't spoil your enjoyment of the novel But yes, the Mansion folks are not who they seem to be, and clues/secrets will definitely be revealed along the way.

foosball: there are 18 chapters.

~

Chapter Six – Embattled on all sides

The next morning, the mountain valley was still covered in thick mist and the little hut seemed to be floating in the cloud heap; opening the door, one could even feel like one was drifting, as though a duckweed floating on the water surface.

There were many people like this in the world, people with no concerns, no roots.

Lu Xiaofeng sighed and closed the door heavily, his spirits so low that it was as though he’d seen his lover get on someone else’s wedding sedan chair.

The only sound that cheered him up a little was the knocking sound indicating that food had arrived.

The delivery person had pockmarks all over the face, along with a dull expression and a mouth full of yellow teeth. The only happy thing about him was that he was carrying a large food box.

There were six dishes and a soup in that food box, along with white rice. Those dishes actually contained what Lu Xiaofeng had ordered last night.

However, it was only a bite-sized portion of each dish; one might have missed if one had bad eyesight, and if the breeze got any bigger, the food would be blown away.

The best of it all was that Sanxian duck(1), which had only one bone, a piece of skin and a duck feather.

“That’s Sanxian duck?” Lu Xiaofeng yelped.

Pockmarks actually glared and said: “If that’s not duck, what is? A person?”

“Even so, where the Sanxian part?”

“The duck feather was freshly plucked, duck skin freshly peeled off, and the duck bone is very fresh too. If that’s not freshness, what is?”

Lu Xiaofeng shut his mouth.

Pockmarks had already flounced off, slamming the door on the way out.

Lu Xiaofeng gazed at the six dishes, then at the single grain of rice in the bowl, not knowing whether he should weep or laugh.

Now he finally understood why that Mister Wandering Soul was so interested in chicken bones.

He picked up the chopsticks, then set them down, and suddenly heard someone sighing from the little back window: “Your piece of braised pork shanks is bigger than the one I had yesterday, at least twice.”

Lu Xiaofeng didn’t need to turn around to know that Mister Wandering Soul had returned, and couldn’t help asking: “How long have you been eating such meals?”

“Three months,” Wandering Soul said.

He tunnelled through the window and his eyes fixed on the six dishes on the table, said: “There’s a trick to eating such meals.”

“What trick?” Lu Xiaofeng asked.

“Savour every dish very slowly,” Wandering Soul said, “best if you use your front teeth to gnaw at it, then lick it with your tongue, so as to get the full taste.”

“But you’re still not dead,” Lu Xiaofeng said.

“That’s because I don’t want to die yet,” Wandering Soul said. “The more other people want me to die, the more I want to live on, just to show them.”

Lu Xiaofeng couldn’t help a sigh too, and said: “It mustn’t have been easy for you to survive until now.”

Wandering Soul nodded slowly, two tear droplets rolling down from the corner of his eyes.

Lu Xiaofeng couldn’t bear to look, so he lay down on the bed and covered his head with the pillow.

“The food is here, aren’t you going to eat?” Wandering Soul asked.

“You go ahead, I’m not hungry,” Lu Xiaofeng said.

“Because you have to live too!” Wandering Soul said.

Suddenly, he yanked the pillow off Lu Xiaofeng and yelled: “If you want to die, you might as well let me bash you to death now since the flesh on your body can still sustain me for a few happy meals.”

Lu Xiaofeng gazed at him, then at the bony face that was barely covered by skin, then suddenly said: “My name is Lu Xiaofeng.”

“I know,” Wandering Soul said.

“What about you?” Lu Xiaofeng asked. “Who are you? How did you come to be here?”

This time, Wandering Soul didn’t get agitated, he merely stared at Lu Xiaofeng with socket-like eyes and countered: “And how did you end up here?”

“Because…”

Wandering Soul interrupted: “Because you did something wrong and were forced into a corner, so you ended up on the path of no return.”

Lu Xiaofeng had to admit to that.

“Now every one in the martial arts fraternity must be thinking you’re dead, Ximen Chuixue too, that’s why you can continue living here.”

“What about you?” Lu Xiaofeng asked.

“Me too,” Wandering Soul said. He added: “General, Cousin, Hook, Housekeeper… these people are all in the same situation.”

“They still don’t trust you. They cannot let anyone know they are still alive, otherwise…”

“Otherwise their enemies will most probably turn up here.”

“Indeed.”

“What about you?” Lu Xiaofeng asked. “You don’t trust me either?”

“Even if I do, I can’t tell you anything about me,” Wandering Soul said.

“Why not?”

An odd look entered Wandering Soul’s eyes; was it fear or agony?

“I can’t say, definitely not…”

He was muttering to himself, as though warning himself, and his body began floating up again.

But Lu Xiaofeng was determined not to let him get away this time, and with lightning speed, caught hold of his arm and asked again: “Why not?”

“Because…” Wandering Soul gritted his teeth and said determinedly: “Because if I tell you, we definitely won’t be able to become friends.”

Lu Xiaofeng still didn’t understand and wanted to press on, but Wandering Soul’s emaciated, wizened hand suddenly turned soft as silk and slipped from his grasp.

Nobody had been able to slip away from Lu Xiaofeng’s grasp before.

He reached out once more, but Wandering Soul had already tunnelled through the window, just like the wispy wandering souls.

Lu Xiaofeng was stunned.

He’d never seen anyone who had perfected flexibility to such an extent; perhaps he’d once heard Sikong Zhaixing mention it but even this memory itself was hazy.

All his memories were becoming hazy; Lu Xiaofeng had been shut inside this wooden hut for two or three days.

Was it two days? Three days? Or four days? He couldn’t remember clearly.

So hunger not only causes memory to deterioriate, it could also hurt brainpower and let one remember things that one should forget, but forget things that one should remember.

A person lying all alone and starving in a tiny hut the size of a pigeon cage is agony that nobody can endure.

However, he still couldn’t resist leaping up excitedly after hearing the sound of a bell outside the hut.

“If the bell doesn’t ring, you cannot come out.”

So now the bell had sounded, he leapt up and dashed outside, even without his boots.

It was still foggy outside and right now it was dusk.

The setting sun in the misty fog shone like a seven-coloured halo.

This world was still beautiful after all, and it was a pleasurable thing to be alive.

There were still thirty six or seven people in the hall, but Lu Xiaofeng did not know any of them.

The people he’d met before were all not here; the Soul Collector, General, Wandering Soul, Ye Ling… why did they not come? And Dugu Mei, why had he disappeared once he entered this mountain valley?

Lu Xiaofeng settled down in one corner and nobody paid him any attention, not even to spare him a glance. Everyone looked stern and the mood seemed heavy.

Maybe it was like that for people living here.

Lu Xiaofeng sighed privately and raised his head for a look, only to realise that the high dais, on which the huge pot of meat had rested, was now holding up a coffin.

A brand new coffin, with the lid not yet nailed shut.

Who had died? Was it General? Had they asked Lu Xiaofeng here to avenge General’s death?

Lu Xiaofeng was feeling a little uneasy when he saw Ye Ling rush in.

This smiling girl who was fond of wearing red was now dressed in white mourning clothes, and was crying bitterly.

The moment she rushed in, she collapsed onto the coffin crying uncontrollably.

Lu Xiaofeng could never have imagined that she would weep so for someone else. She was still young, lively and beautiful, these sad and unfortunate events had seemed they would never happen to her.

How was the deceased related to her? How had the person died?

Lu Xiaofeng was just preparing to find an opportunity to comfort her later, but she’d already begun hollering: “Lu Xiaofeng, come here!”

He had no choice but to go over.

He couldn’t figure out why Ye Ling would summon him over, he didn’t want to get too near.

But Ye Ling wouldn’t stop hurrying him, telling him to walk faster, to come nearer and get up onto the stone dais.

He lifted his head and realised she was glaring at him with teary eyes, her gaze full of animosity.

Lu Xiaofeng couldn’t help asking: “You want me to come up?”

Ye Ling nodded.

“What for?” he asked.

“Come up and look at him!” she said.

“Him” was of course the person lying in the coffin, and what was so interesting about looking at a person already in a coffin?

But she was insistent, as though she wouldn’t take no for an answer.

Lu Xiaofeng had to go.

Ye Ling lifted the coffin lid and a mixture of fragrance and stench immediately wafted up, the person in the coffin had evidently turned swollen and rotten, so why did she want Lu Xiaofeng to come and see this?

Lu Xiaofeng only took one look before he felt like puking.

This person was evidently Ye Guhong, the one who had died in that man-eating forest!

Ye Ling gritted her teeth and glared at Lu Xiaofeng, said: “You know who he is?”

Lu Xiaofeng nodded.

“He is my brother,” Ye Ling said. “My real brother. If he hadn’t saved me, I’d have died in the ditch.”

Her eyes were full of grief and hatred. “Now he’s dead, you tell me, shouldn’t I avenge him?”

Lu Xiaofeng nodded again.

He never wished to argue with women, and besides, there was no room for argument in this matter.

Ye Ling said: “Do you know how he died?”

Lu Xiaofeng could neither nod nor shake his head, or explain or deny; he couldn’t help wishing there would be another coffin nearby so that he could hide in there.

Ye Ling gave a cold laugh. “Even if you don’t say, I already know.”

“Know what?” Lu Xiaofeng couldn’t help asking.

“He died in that patch of forest out there,” she said. “Died for three days, and during those three days, only you had been in that forest.”

Lu Xiaofeng gave a resigned smile. “You think I killed him?”

“Indeed!”

“Wrong. There were other people besides him in that forest during those three days.”

The person who had spoken up for Lu Xiaofeng turned out to be Dugu Mei, who had previously been on a disappearing act. “At least I’d been there. I came from there too.”

“Can you be considered a person?” Ye Ling yelled. “You had the ability to kill my brother?”

Dugu Mei sighed: “Even if I wasn’t a person, there would still be others.”

“Others?” Ye Ling asked.

Dugu Mei nodded and said: “Even if I weren’t your brother’s match, it wouldn’t be too difficult for this person to kill your brother.”

Ye Ling was outraged. “Whom are you referring to?”

“Ximen Chuixue!”

His eyes were smiling just like those of an old fox, as he said: “Have you heard of this name?”

Ye Ling’s face changed; she had indeed heard of this name.

Ximen Chuixue!

The mystical sword among swords, the sword god!

Whoever had heard of this name once would not forget it.

Dugu Mei eyed her and said: “Moreover, Lu Xiaofeng was rather seriously injured then, he was at most half a Lu Xiaofeng, so how could half a Lu Xiaofeng be a match for Wudang’s Little White Dragon?”

“You lie!” Ye Ling yelled again.

Dugu Mei sighed again and said: “Why would a man who doesn’t give a damn about kinship lie for another person?

“One is Wandering Soul, the other is Soul Collector. They and the Ye sisters’ father were the ones who helped Old Sabre Honcho with the Mansion set-up years ago. Now that Old Ye has died, there is no one else more senior than them.”

Lu Xiaofeng said: “So because of this, I should beware of him?”

“There is one more thing,” Hai Qikuo said.

Lu Xiaofeng picked up his wine cup and waited for him to go on.

Hai Qikuo said: “He’s the elder statesman here, so if he wants to kill you, he can find a chance anytime and you won’t be able to avoid it!”

Lu Xiaofeng asked: “He has reason to kill me?”

“Yes,” Hai Qikuo said.

“What reason?”

“You killed his son.”

“Who is his son?”

“Flying Jade Tiger.”

Lu Xiaofeng breathed in deeply and suddenly felt that the wine he’d just drunk had all turned sour.

Hai Qikuo said: “He set up Black Tiger Sect, but just as the foundation of the sect was becoming stable, he had to come here with Old Sabre Honcho. He had offended someone he couldn’t afford to offend, so he was at his wits’ end.”

“Whom did he offend?” Lu Xiaofeng asked.

Hai Qikuo said: “The Wooden Taoist, the most famous and respected member of Wudang.”

Lu Xiaofeng couldn’t help breathing in deeply again. Now he finally understood why Wandering Soul had refused all along to talk about his background.

Sorry for the delay, here's a slightly longer update to compensate for the wait!

~

Chapter Six, part iii

Drinking is not the same as eating.

A person who usually eats three bowls of rice would definitely not be able to finish thirty, but a person who does not get drunk easily might sometimes be drunk only after a few cups.

Was Lu Xiaofeng already drunk?

“I’m not drunk yet.” He pushed away Dugu Mei and Hai Qikuo: “I still recognise the way home, you two don’t have to see me back.”

Indeed, he knew his way back.

Sometimes, even when a person is dead drunk, he still knows his way home and only after he reaches home will he collapse.

If you are a drinker, you would definitely have had such an experience.

Lu Xiaofeng had had such an experience, and very often too.

“This is my home,
We all love it,
There’s fish in front,
And flowers at the back.”

Although this little hut had neither fish nor flowers, it was still his home.

A wanderer with no roots discovering he actually has a home to return to after he’s drunk –

This is such a wonderful feeling. Except us wanderers, who else would understand?

Lu Xiaofeng started singing again, in a very loud voice, because he suddenly realised his own voice was sounding better and better.

There was no light in the hut, but once he pushed open the door, he felt a presence there.

“I know who you are, even if you don’t speak a word.” Lu Xiaofeng was laughing, very loudly too: “You’re Wandering Soul, one of the Elders here. Are you going to kill me since you’re waiting here for me?”

The person in the hut still did not speak.

Lu Xiaofeng roared wth laughter: “Even if you want to kill me, you would not do it behind my back, right? It’s because you’re the most famous among Wudang’s secular disciples, because you’re Mister Zhong. Boneless Zhong.”

He went inside, shut the door and started searching for some flint: “Actually you were Wooden Taoist’s old friend, but you shouldn’t have secretly set up Black Tiger Clan outside. Otherwise, why would Wooden Taoist need to deal with you?”

There was still no sound, but there was light.

The flint had lit up to cast light on a person’s face, one that was all skin and bones. That pair of sunken eyes was staring at Lu Xiaofeng unflinchingly.

The flint was lit up again and Ye Ling finally saw the dead man: “And where’s the other half?”

Lu Xiaofeng gave her a resigned smile: “That would be me!”

Ye Ling gazed at him, and then the dead man, then suddenly jumped up: “You killed him? How could you? Don’t you know who he is?”

Lu Xiaofeng didn’t open his mouth. He didn’t need to, since someone outside answered on his behalf: “He knows.”

The hut was small, the window was tiny as well. Ye Ling was blocking the doorway, so the person outside had no way of walking in.

But they had other methods.

Suddenly, another there was another banging sound. He didn’t reach a hand out to block, not even when the roof crashed down and the people in the hut suddenly found themselves out in the open.

Lu Xiaofeng didn’t move.

The roof crashed down on him, but he neither stuck a hand out to cover himself nor escaped, he only let out a sigh.

This was his first time having a home, and it was very likely his last.

“So there are not only unlucky people in this world, there are unlucky houses too.” Lu Xiaofeng lamented: “The hut was unlucky because it chose the wrong owner. People are unlucky because they befriend the wrong people.”

“You’re unlucky because you did something wrong.”

“You can do anything, but why did you have to kill him?”

“I already told you, even if you know he wants to kill you, you can’t kill him or even I wouldn’t let you off.”

That last was said by Hai Qikuo. As for the other two, one had a pale and beardless face and was well-dressed, while the other was tall and thin, with a hooked nose and hunched back. One was always smiling, as though he admired even himself, while the other was always frowning and unappreciative of himself.

Lu Xiaofeng suddenly asked: “Which one is Cousin?”

Cousin’s shiny face was still wearing a smile, but he purposely let out a sigh. “Fortunately I’m not your cousin, or even I would be in trouble thanks to you.”

Lu Xiaofeng purposely sighed as well and said: “Fortunately you’re not my cousin, or I’d definitely bang my head and die!”

Cousin laughed. “I guarantee you don’t have to bang your head and die, we’ll think of many ways to let you die.”

He was laughing even more merrily. He took pleasure in whatever he was saying and was very pleased with it.

The other person suddenly said: “I’m a housekeeper anyway, so I definitely have to concern myself with this.”

He sighed gloomily and said: “Actually I really do not like poking my nose into other people’s business one bit. I have not had a good night’s sleep for many months now, and my back has been hurting me lately. The pain in my teeth is even worse…”

He kept on grumbling and nagging; he was evidently not pleased with his own life or that of other people’s.

Lu Xiaofeng gave a resigned smile. “So three of the Council of Elders have appeared.”

Ye Ling suddenly said: “Four.”

Lu Xiaofeng was startled. “You too?”

Ye Ling made a face and said coldly: “Elder refers to seniority in rank, not in age.”

Cousin smiled and said: “Well said.”

Housekeeper added: “Old Sabre Honcho isn’t here, so if the majority of the Elders agree on something, then that decides things.”

“What things?” Lu Xiaofeng asked.

“Anything,” Cousin replied.

“How many people is the majority?” Lu Xiaofeng asked.

“How many are there in the Council?” Housekeeper said. “Majority means five people.”

Lu Xiaofeng let out a sigh of relief and said: “There are only four of you here.”

“You are very clever,” Cousin said idly. “Surely you must know what we are going to decide on.”

Housekeeper said: “We are going to decide whether you should die.”

“Don’t I have the chance to defend myself?” Lu Xiaofeng asked.

“No,” Housekeeper replied.

Lu Xiaofeng could only give a resigned smile.

“So have you decided he should die?” Hai Qikuo asked.

“Of course he should,” Housekeeper said.

“Definitely he must die,” Cousin added.

Hai Qikuo sighed again and said: “I believe Mister Zhong is of like mind.”

“Now it only remains for Miss Ye to decide,” said Cousin.

Ye Ling bit her lip and darted a glance at Lu Xiaofeng from the corner of her eye. It was as though she was like a cat that had already caught the mouse.

At this point, a voice suddenly floated over from the dark woods behind: “Why don’t you ask what I think?”

A streak of light burst through from the dark woods and a pair of well-dressed girls carrying gauze lanterns* walked over. A woman with extremely long hair lazily followed behind.

She was not particularly beautiful; her cheekbones were a little too high and her mouth a little too big, the misty look in eyes giving one the impression that she was not awake.

She was casually dressed in a very loose black night robe – it seemed like a man’s – that was only loosely held together by a sash. Her long hair flowing, she had come barefoot, not having even put on shoes.

But she was undoubtedly a very special woman. Most men would be attracted to her at first glance.

Watching her stroll over, Cousin’s brows knitted instead, while Ye Ling was pouting and Housekeeper forced a smile, asking: “Do you think he should die?”

Her reply was very succinct: “No.”

Ye Ling had not expressed her opinion, but now she suddenly jumped up and demanded: “Why not?”

This woman smiled lazily and said: “To sentence someone to death, you need evidence. What evidence do you have?”

“Mister Zhong’s corpse is evidence,” said Housekeeper.

The black-robed woman said: “Would you hide a body in your house after you’ve killed him?”

Housekeeper looked at Cousin, who looked at Hai Qikuo. The trio didn’t open their mouths.

Ye Ling leapt up again and said: “They have no evidence, but I do.”

“What do you have?” the black-robed woman asked.

“With my own eyes, I saw him strike,” Ye Ling said.

Not only was Lu Xiaofeng stunned by her words, Cousin and the others seemed rather surprised as well.

However, the black-robed woman’s face had no expression as she said lightly: “Even if you really did see that, it’s of no use.”

“Who says so?” Ye Ling asked.

“I did,” the woman said.

Lazily, she crossed over to stand in front of Lu Xiaofeng, used one hand to hook the sash and the other to tidy her hair. “If you aren’t satisfied, you are welcome to take me on.”

Hai Qikuo sighed and asked: “Must you do this? What for?”

“Because I can, because it’s none of your business,” the black-robed woman said.

Hai Qikuo stared at her: “Must you force us to strike?”

“You dare?” she asked.

Hai Qikuo glared at her, his eyes nearly spitting fire, but he did not even dare to lift a finger against her.

Cousin’s face had lost its smile and his expression was ghastly as he said: “Widow Hua, you’d better wise up. Hai is interested in you but I’m not.”

Widow Hua tossed him a glance and said coldly: “What can you do to me? Just because you learnt some swordplay from that old man Bashan, you dare to be rude to me?”

Cousin’s face turned bright red at that. Suddenly he roared and pulled out a sword, a soft one that had been attached at his waist.

The soft sword trembled slightly in the breeze and became as straight as an arrow. A flash of brilliance and he’d already struck.

Lu Xiaofeng had never in his dreams expected this sombre, affected man would become so violent and rash when he was provoked.

Widow Hua had already anticipated this, however. The hand that was hooked on the sash moved and that soft piece of cloth suddenly straightened out as well. Like a poisonous snake, it had already wrapped itself around Cousin’s sword.

Only the best iron could fashion a soft sword, but alas, his sword could not even slice through a sash.

Widow Hua’s hand moved again and the sash flew out, slapped Cousin squarely in the face.

Cousin’s face turned red, and Lu Xiaofeng could also feel his face flaming.

He suddenly realised that Widow Hua was not wearing anything underneath her robe.

Without the sash holding the robe together, all the vital parts of her body were now exposed.

But she did not care in the least, and was still standing there lazily, asking: “Do you want to try again?”

Cousin indeed wished to have another go, but Housekeeper and Hai Qikuo were now holding him back.

Hai Qikuo worked his throat furiously, wanting to shift his gaze away from Widow Hua’s robe, but he was unable to move an inch.

Widow Hua was no longer young, but her body seemed as though it still was, except that it was even more alluring, more mature than that of a young girl’s.

Hai Qikuo sighed again and gave a resigned smile: “Can you please fasten that robe before you speak?”

Ye Ling gnashed her teeth and said savagely: “No matter whether I’m jealous, this time I mean what I say. I’m still young, but that b!tch is an old hag now. At least in this aspect, I’m superior to her.”

“But…” Hai Qikuo hesitated.

“Do you want to see the goods first?” Ye Ling asked. “Fine!”

She suddenly tore off her bottoms, revealing a pair of smooth legs.

Hai Qikuo’s eyes glazed over. “I can only see this much?”

“If you want to see the rest, kill that b!tch and we’ll talk.”

____________

*gauze lantern (纱灯, sha1 deng1): a kind of sheer lantern made from materials such as gauze, yarn, voile. See this image for an idea of what it looks like.